Microsoft's document format moves up a step

Ecma International said on Monday that Office Open XML, the document format for the latest version of Microsoft Office, has moved to the next step in the standardization process at the International Organization for Standardization.

Office Open XML (OOXML) was approved as an Ecma International standard in December and submitted to the ISO for so-called fast-track approval. On Monday, Ecma said that it was told that the ISO has moved Open XML to the next step in the standardization process and expects to make a final vote on it by September 2. ISO standardization would carry more significance than Ecma, particularly to government customers.